Kratman 1

Samantha Kratman

Dr. Hamilton

English 137H

6 November 2022

The Evolution of the Great American Novel: How Literature Reflects Society

1. Introduction

If you have ever taken an English class based on fiction, you have likely heard the term

“The Great American Novel”. Coined in 1868 by John William De Forest, the title describes a

hypothetical novel that embraces and focuses on the idea of America while being written by an

American (or someone who has adopted American culture as their own). Though some are

staunch believers in The Great American Novel being purely theoretical, the vast majority of the

population has a work that comes to mind when they think of what could fit these criteria. F.

Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a widely cited example; Mark Twain’s The Adventures of

Huckleberry Finn is another. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The

Scarlet Letter are other common examples.

Since its inception, the concept of the Great American Novel has spiked and declined in

popularity over various increments of time - two major declines were immediately after its

creation and during the mid-twentieth century (Buell, The Unkillable Dream). Some authors

believe it to be an unattainable goal: a Sisyphean task meant to stay a pipe dream in the minds of

dreaming writers. Others believe the writing of The Great American Novel to be a feasible crown

that would be the cherry on top of their long and storied career. However you choose to view The

Great American Novel, it is clear that there are many perspectives and opinions surrounding it.
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There are common threads in most of these novels - there is usually a character, wronged

in some way or another, looking to achieve a goal. As the story progresses, there is a sense of

moral development from either this character or others around them. Another common thread is

the setting - it makes sense that these novels are set in America, but by far the most frequent

setting of popular contenders is the northeast. Massachusetts is a recurrent locus (The Scarlet

Letter, Moby Dick, and Little Women are all set there), as is New York (The Great Gatsby, The

Last of the Mohicans, Invisible Man, and American Psycho). A few others are set in New

England with an unspecified location - for example, a large portion of Lolita is set in the fictional

town of Ramsdale. Apart from the northeast, California is another common setting, with The

Grapes of Wrath, The Catcher in the Rye, and McTeague all inhabiting the region. Additionally,

these fictitious works often contain an exigence of a historical American event - for example,

The Great Depression in The Grapes of Wrath or the Harlem Renaissance for Invisible Man.

These things connect the works to the collective American experience, often making them

relatable or appealing to audiences.

Unfortunately, when it comes to relatability and representation, titles frequently placed in

the running for The Great American Novel were often lacking. Protagonists were almost

exclusively white males and usually Christian. Even if they came from humble beginnings, they

either had astoundingly good luck to make them successful or based their entire personality on

their woefully dreadful lives. In the rare scenario where John Smith did not take center stage, the

books centered around marginalized groups often employed a white savior complex or

patriarchal tone that still kept Caucasian men at the center of what it meant to be an American.

However, as time has gone on, authors have enlisted new, more inclusive approaches that

encompass the complexities of American society and identity - and this shift is reflected in newer
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works that are considered worthy of the title of The Great American Novel. This evolution of the

criteria for The Great American Novel reflects a similar shift in society’s perception of what it

means to be an American.

2. Inception-1920: The Genteel Era

When John William De Forest birthed the idea of The Great American Novel, he was

insistent on the production of novels that would “grasp the full geographical and cultural range

of national life” (Buell, The Dream of the Great American Novel, 24). This stood in opposition to

the majority of well-respected works at the time; De Forest was a big fan of The Scarlet Letter

but felt it was too niche and extreme to fill his requirements. He claimed that the characters ``are

as probably natives of the furthest mountains of Cathay or of the moon as of the United States of

America.” Although no book written at the time fulfilled De Forest’s criteria, he did say that

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe came the closest - however, he claimed that there

was a glaring issue: “there was (if idealism be a fault) a black man painted whiter than the

angels,”(De Forest). Additionally, even though Uncle Tom is a black protagonist, the white

people in the novel, all of which are slave owners, are often portrayed as sympathetic. The truly

“evil” masters are portrayed as grotesque and monstrous, dehumanizing them and separating

them from the “kind” white people. There is also the aspect of the white savior complex

throughout the novel, where Stowe places “well-intentioned” white slave owners on a pedestal,

portraying them as victims of the institution of slavery. Whether this was intentional on Stowe’s

part to bring less radical people to her cause or just a result of the time period, it has had

implications that have continued into the present day. From Uncle Tom’s Cabin evolved the
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stereotype of an “Uncle Tom”, which is defined as a black person who is exceedingly subservient

to white people (Bernstein). This reflects the racist ideologies present at the time.

Another example of a considered Great American Novel written during this time is The

Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. As aforementioned, De Forest did not consider the work

worthy of the title, but since his original essay, most literary critics agree it deserves a spot on the

list. The book is set in Puritan-era Massachusetts and centers on themes of sin, repentance, and

societal pressures. Hester Prynne is portrayed as a sinning whore, while Dimmesdale is portrayed

as a sympathetic man who made a mistake, even though they are equally at fault for the

conception of Pearl out of wedlock. It is clear that Hester is a good person, helping the sick and

poor while Dimmesdale is decidedly not. Even so, Hester is forced to suffer publicly while

Dimmesdale whines about his inner turmoil. This reflects the misogynistic viewpoint of society

at the time, where women were held to a higher standard of purity than men.

In this era, referred to as the “Genteel Era” in Egnal’s study1, there was a clear-cut code

that governed behavior and morality. Additionally, there was “a belief in the superiority of the

white race and a commitment to Protestantism, progress, and the doctrine of the two spheres,

temperance, and sexual modesty.” (Egnal, 240).

The Ngram database shows a rise in words such as

“coquette” (a woman who is a flirt) and

“scoundrel”, reflecting this disdain for those

whose behavior was deemed improper. Another

word that had a drastic rise in usage during this

era was “loving”. The prime example here is Lousia May Alcott’s Little Women, a classic

1
Marc Egnal’s study utilizes the Google Books Ngram Viewer, which is a statistical analysis tool that graphs the
frequencies of words using a yearly count of ngrams found in printed sources published between selected years of
1500 and 2019. This database correlates with trends, commonplaces, and ideologies of the time periods.
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children’s novel following the lives of the four March sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they

grow up in Civil War-era Massachusettes. Alcott places on close-knit family relationships - all of

the sisters are extremely different, with various dreams and aspirations, but are united by their

love for each other. These familial relationships

are all nuclear families - an important distinction

in genteel society. The significance of familial

relationships is clearly displayed in the Ngram

database with the word “loving” - the word

appears 44 times over the course of Little Women (Egnal, 241).

By observing the ideologies and commonplaces of the time as well as trends in the

Ngram database, the intersection between American society and what literature encapsulates it

during the genteel era is clear. What was considered to be The Great American Novel during this

time focused on white, pious men and their families, just as these individuals were considered

the most important in society.

3. 1920-1960: The Modern Era

The most commonly-cited Great American Novels come from this period, spanning the

end of World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Second Red Scare, and the start of

the Cold War. Urban life became prominent over small town communities and activities once

deemed immoral, such as sexually promiscuous pursuits and drinking, were now commonplace.

This was fueled by Prohibition, which had gained a considerable and passionate opposition.

Gender and racial barriers were beginning to break down through the gain of women’s suffrage

and the Harlem Renaissance, but biases were still firmly set in society. The flapper movement
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saw a change in how women were perceived and the ideal familial structure was redefined.

Perhaps most importantly, the “American Dream” was admired and pursued by people more than

ever before, fueled by wartime patriotism.

Perhaps the most well-known contender for the title of The Great American Novel is F.

Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby - the tale of the wildly wealthy Jay Gatsby, his dark past, and

those who orbit around him. Gatsby chases the American Dream, which is embodied by Daisy

Buchanan, a beautiful young socialite. Racism is

present in the novel, though it is not a big talking

point. The flimsy facade of wealth is explored in

The Great Gatsby, which reflects the shift in

society to more distinct socioeconomic classes.

“Romantic” suggests a person who “listens to their own heart and casts aside society’s codes”

(Egnal, 245). This carefree nature in men was desirable during this era, as reflected by its

skyrocket on the Ngram database. However, women were still held to harsh stereotypes, and the

lingering effects of the patriarchy and gender roles make up another huge portion of the novel,

mostly through Daisy. Although it is easy to write her off as a shallow, manipulative character, a

deeper analysis lends itself to the framing of her as a product of her environment - she is a smart

and passionate young woman forced into a life of housewifery and being the armpiece of

various, terrible men. Her predicament leads to perhaps the most quotable line from the book -

Daisy tells Nick that upon learning her child was a girl, “ I turned my head away and wept. 'All

right,' I said, 'I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool—that's the best thing a girl can be in

this world, a beautiful little fool,” (Fitzgerald, 18). Her intelligence means that she is painfully

aware of what her situation is and that she is stuck in it, and she hopes that her daughter will
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remain in ignorant bliss. Still, during the Modern Era, Daisy was viewed as manipulative and

cold-hearted, while Gatsby is the wronged romantic hero, though they both possess many of the

same attributes. This book shows how the decline of moral codes caused a huge shift in society,

which allowed for more freedom. Despite this, women and non-white people were still stuck in

an inherently sexist and racist society. Additionally, The Great Gatsby reflects the shift away

from the nuclear family through the Buchannans. Daisy and her husband, Tom, have no love for

each other - both are engaged in affairs that the other is aware of. Additionally, they have no

particular devotion to their daughter - she is a side note in their mind. Daisy is solely focused on

who can get her closest to her goal, and she doesn’t care who she steps on to do so.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum sits John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of

Wrath. While the protagonists of The Great Gatsby are incredibly wealthy, the Joad family of

The Grapes of Wrath is a dirt-poor family of tenant farmers during the Great Depression. The

book focuses on the workers' struggles as they fight for survival. The main shift of this era

represented in the novel is the evolution of the idea of family - instead of the nuclear,

blood-related family unit of the genteel era, the Modern era focused on the importance of a

community. The Joads must join forces with other families in order to survive, and when they do,

it is a beautiful thing. This defining moment takes place on the side of Route 66, where

Steinbeck wrote “In the evening a strange thing happened: the twenty families became one

family, the children were the children of all. The loss of home became one loss, and the golden

time in the West was one dream,” (Steinbeck, 206).

The Great Gatsby shows one extreme of considering the self above all else; The Grapes

of Wrath shows the other - valuing

community gain over the individual. Both

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sides are stark differences from the focus on the blood family unit represented in the genteel era.

This modern idea away from the nuclear family in books is reflected in society as well. Divorce

rates skyrocketed during this period as women gained more rights. On the opposite end of the

spectrum, family units formed from individuals and small groups, often due to the death of

someone during the World Wars or the Great Depression. Many children were taken in by

neighbors, friends, or distant relatives and single parents became more common. This evolution

in American society was well-represented in the literature of the time.

4. 1960-Present: The Postmodern Era

Perhaps the greatest shift in ideology is represented in the Postmodern Era. Middle-class

individuals encapsulated the majority of society, and

literature started to focus on the day-to-day goings of

those in that rank. Gone were the extravagant parties

of Gatsby or the starving nights of the Joads - rather,

authors focused on the struggles of everyday

Americans that were more relatable. More people could fit into the category of the middle class,

meaning that their perception of The Great American Novel would follow characters in the same

position. Additionally, racial and gender biases were finally being broken down and the idea of

what it meant to be an American widened significantly. Protagonists of novels were more

frequently women or of different racial backgrounds, widening the appeal.

A prime example of a contender for The Great American Novel from this time includes

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The book is told from the perspective of Scout Finch, a

six-year-old girl growing up in rural Alabama during the Great Depression. Scout is a tom-boy,
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being raised by a single father, lawyer Atticus Finch. Racism is prevalent, which is difficult for

young Scout to understand. The Finch family has a strong love for each other, but also embraces

their community and are careful not to judge a book by its cover. The majority of the conflict in

the novel revolves around Atticus being appointed as the lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man

accused of raping a young white woman. The book is fraught with injustices: Atticus is

frequently mocked for his willingness to defend anyone to the best of his ability, Tom is

innocent, but convicted anyway and then murdered, and Boo is unfairly perceived as terrifying

when all he wants is friendship.

These injustices form the hallmark characteristic of those novels in the running for The

Great American Novel written during the Postmodern Era - they are critical of American society.

In previous eras, the American Dream or perception of American society is an unreasonably high

standard. In the Postmodern era, it is clear that America itself is flawed instead of specific

individuals or institutions. This acknowledgment does not deem America unredeemable; rather,

the works show that though America is a land full of opportunity and promise, there are always

ways to improve.

5. 9/11 and The Great American Novel

An interesting nuance of the Postmodern Era revolves around 9/11. American literature

post-9/ 11is startingly violent compared to

before, and terrorism saw its peak in use as a

plot point after 2001. Contenders for The

Great American Novel post-9/11 usually

mention the attacks in some form, and many use it as a major plot point or motivation for its
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characters. A prime example of this is Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, where the son of the main

characters blames all his problems on the attacks.

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, the criteria surrounding the illustrious Great American Novel are primary

indicators for ideologies and morals of the time period in which they were observed. Just as the

country is in a constant state of change, so are the perceptions of what it means to be an

American. If enough research is done, it becomes clear - everyone has a different idea of what

The Great American Novel is. No matter what is in a novel (whether it is the characters, settings,

plots, or message), someone will love it and someone will hate it. There is no one, definitive

“Great American Novel”, just as there is no one, quintessential American. In fact, Cheryl Strayed

argues that this was the idea all along: “De Forest was arguing in hopes of not one Great

American Novel, but rather the development of a literary canon that accurately portrayed our

complex national character,” (Klein). Escaped slaves could relate to Uncle Tom, women trapped

by misogynistic societal pressures sympathized with Daisy Buchannan, and families full of

adulterers (there has to be at least one!) understood the Berglunds. America is too vast, too

diverse, and too beautiful to be artfully summed up within 200 pages. In the end, it is logical to

conclude that The Great American Novel is not a single novel; rather, it is a developing, library’s

worth of books that collectively span all aspects of American life. And what is the purpose of

American literature if not a place to find kindred spirits in the Brobdingnagian sea that is our

nation - to reach into the ether and feel just a little bit less alone?
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Works Cited

Buell, Lawrence. The Dream of the Great American Novel, Harvard University Press, 2014.

ProQuest Ebook Central,

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/pensu/detail.action?docID=3301419. Accessed 5

Nov. 2022.

Buell, Lawrence. "The Unkillable Dream of the Great American Novel: Moby-Dick as Test

Case." American Literary History, vol. 20, nos. 1-2, spring-summer 2008, pp. 132-55.

Oxford Academic, academic.oup.com/alh/article/20/1-2/132/152929. Accessed 5 Nov.

2022.

Davis, Zachary, host. "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Writ Large, episode 60.

De Forest, John William. "The Nation." Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture,

utc.iath.virginia.edu/articles/n2ar39at.html. Accessed 5 Nov. 2022.

Egnal, Marc. "Evolution of the Novel in the United States: The Statistical Evidence." Social

Science History, vol. 37, no. 2, 2013, pp. 231–54. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/24573933. Accessed 5 Nov. 2022.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. United States, Amazon, 2021.

Klein, Annika Barranti. "What is The Great American Novel?" Book Riot, 13 Apr. 2020,

bookriot.com/what-is-the-great-american-novel/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2022.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York City, Viking, 2014.
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Figures Cited:

Egnal, Marc. "Evolution of the Novel in the United States: The Statistical Evidence." Social

Science History, vol. 37, no. 2, 2013, pp. 231–54. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/24573933. Accessed 5 Nov. 2022.

Other figures were originally procured from the Google Books Ngram Viewer Database.